Doulas & help with breast feeding - more information please.

[Wills]

I've just read in "Childbirth: New baby here" Doulas. I then duely went to their site and read more. Apart from the fact that they seem a brilliant idea I was wondering if anyone had any experience of a "Doula" helping with breastfeeding. When my DD was first born I struggled for 3 and half months with breast feeding. For most of that time it was agony but I kept going. Towards the end the pain reduced enough that I had an inkling of what a wonderful experience it could be and would dearly like to do it with any future children I may have. I had to return to work when she was only 3.5 months old (absolutely awful) and at that point my body gave up completely and with all the good will in the world I eventually realised that the whole experience was not good for either myself or DD. Unfortunately I don't live in an area where there are any NCT breast feeding counsellors - so that rules that option for the future. I'm really keen to find a way to to succeed the next time and wondered if a Doula might be the answer.

Wills, NCT counsellors can offer phone help, altough if you've a positioning problem that may not be ideal. There is also the La Leche League and the Breastfeeding Network (I think that's the correct name) who might have counsellors in your area. Pupuce could probably give you contact details for them, otherwise an internet search should bring them up. Best wishes.

Well some doulas (like myself) are breastfeeding counsellor (in my case I am still traning).
Look at www.doula.org.uk (getting a doula via this website avoids ANY agency fee!) to see if you can find a doula in your neck of the woods... then interview them and ask them what their BF training is.
You may also ask your MW or hospital if they have a BF support group or a BF clinic.

What ever happens.. as we have said many many many times on here : each pregnancy, labour and breastfeeding experience is different each time.... so don't assume it will be bad this time... it might not be.
Please feel free to ask me more question or look at my website
www.nurturingbirth.co.uk

Good luck

I really sympathise with you Wills. I had intense pain for about 9 weeks - I really admire you for continuing longer. My HV gave me the La Leche League manual, with was good to read, but we just winged it until things improved. I don't know how you could prevent problems - just get as much advice as poss.

Me too - it hurt like hell! I likened it to someone sticking a hypodermic needle down your nipple and then sucking the milk out, slowly. It took about 6 weeks before it got even vaguely bearable and about 4 months before it didn't hurt at all. Take heart. I have heard again and again that breastfeeding the second baby is much easier because a) you know what you are doing (and the baby is positioned better so you don't fall into the painful sore nipples cycle) and b) most of the nerve endings in your nipples that you had pre-child are all dead now! Sure it'll be fine.

Cha - is that true about the nerve endings? Slightly off the subject but I have found I am considerably less sensitive, shall we say, than pre-breastfeeding!

To try and get dh to understand the agony I felt I told him to imagine what it would feel like if he'd got his balls stuck in a hoover pipe.... I think he got the message!